Feeding Event Brings “Hope” to Auburn Gresham
Posted on 21. Dec, 2011 by citizen in South End
The line for a free meal wrapped around BJ's Market and Bakery Dec. 13 as St. Sabina church sponsored its second annual Operation Hope. Rev. Michael Pfleger, pastor of St. Sabina, said the event is as much about feeding the hungry as it is about letting poor people know that they are not forgotten. The community outreach event is a collaborative effort by St. Sabina, BJ's Market, Johnson Publishing Company, WVON-AM/1690, Rush University Medical Center and Terry Peterson. (Photo Credit: Rhonda Gillespie)
The line for a free meal wrapped around the building of BJ’s Market & Bakery restaurant and extended down the street Dec. 13 as St. Sabina church and its sponsors hosted Operation Hope. The event provided a free hot meal and some encouragement.
This was the second annual year for the community outreach event where 2,000 people received a meal from BJ’s Market, located on the corner of 79th Street and Racine. Rev. Michael Pfleger, pastor of St. Sabina, located down the street from the restaurant, said the event is an example of what can be done in a community when its business, civic and faith leaders come together.
Lin Hobiba, 37, was one of the first in line to be fed.
“I’m hungry, it’s BJs so great food. You can’t beat that,” he said.
Starting at 3 p.m. Pfleger was inside the restaurant greeting people from off the street as they streamed through and received a container pre-packed with chicken or ham, greens, macaroni & cheese and a corn muffin. For the outspoken South Side Catholic priest, the event was not only about food, but also about letting those struggling to survive — especially struggling to eat — know that they are not forgotten.
“(Poor people) feel forgotten, they feel abandoned, feel like they’re the disposable society. And we have to let poor people know that we have not forgotten them, they are not invisible to us. There’s more than enough food and there’s more than enough housing, we’ve just got to share,” Pfleger told the Chicago Citizen.
The Auburn Gresham community where the church and restaurant are located is one identified at the end of the summer in a study by the Greater Chicago Food Depository as having a high rate of food insecurity. Nearly a quarter (24.6 percent) of the community’s residents does not know from where or when they will receive their next meal on a daily basis, according to the report.
Rev. Michael Pfleger, pastor of St. Sabina church in the Auburn-Gresham community, directed people Dec. 13 inside BJ's Market and Bakery restaurant toward the free hot meals that were being passed out. BJ's provided enough dinners of chicken or ham, macaroni and cheese, greens and a corn muffin to feed 2,000 people as part of Operation Hope. (Photo Credit: Rhonda Gillespie)
The report ties the community’s 11.4 percent unemployment and 26.4 percent poverty rates to the food insecurity there. Pfleger said he knows firsthand that having enough food is an issue in Auburn Gresham, and in many other communities. He said that St. Sabina’s food pantry had previously been providing food to some 2,000 people. Now, he said, the number has exploded to over 4,000.
“Not only has the face of hunger changed, it’s grown and unfortunately we as a country have allowed it to grow. I’ve never seen more poverty, in my 36 years in this community, as I do right now,” Pfleger said at the BJ’s Market event.
St. Sabina received support from Johnson Publishing Company (JPC) and company representatives were on hand passing out meals. WVON-AM/1690 was also an event sponsor and had representatives at BJ’s.
BJ’s owner John Meyer assisted in passing out meals. He told the Chicago Citizen that providing the food for this event, even as his business suffers its own blows due to the tumultuous economy, was the least he could do.
Johnson Publishing Company signed on again this year to help sponsor Operation Hope, a community outreach feeding event by St. Sabina church. Representatives from JPC helped pass out the 2,000 pre-packaged BJ's Market and Bakery restaurant meals of chicken or ham, macaroni and cheese, greens and a corn muffin. (Photo Credit: Rhonda Gillespie)
“It’s great to give back to the community. Giving out 2,000 meals, it really feels good that you could do that,” Meyer said. “Everybody’s struggling. We’re not doing as well as we were years ago, but we’re doing well enough that we can give back.”
Latasha Thomas, alderman of the 17th Ward where the restaurant and church are located, was at BJ’s Market for Operation Hope.
She acknowledged that in her ward and around the nation, the face of hunger has changed with the country’s economic hardship. She said the businesses, houses of worship and others in her ward, often band together to aid the poor and those in the middle-class who are struggling.
“We are all trying to do things for the community, nothing selfish about it. We just want to help our people,” Thomas said. “It’s a lot of people that you’re surprised to see in here” needing a meal.
Pam Dyson was in line “to fill the hunger in her belly.” She had hoped to get some barbecue chicken, but said she was simply grateful to receive a meal.
“I like this program because they do try to look out, and help feed people,” she said. This year was her second time participating in Operation Hope.
Pfleger added that despite so many people being hungry, being able to eat should not be an issue.
“We have enough (food) if we just share,” he said.
By Rhonda Gillespie
148 Responses to “Feeding Event Brings “Hope” to Auburn Gresham”
Leave a Reply
Excellent weblog here Also your web site rather a lot up fast What web host are you using Can I am getting your affiliate hyperlink on your host I
Hey you used to write wonderful but the last several posts have been kinda boring¡K I miss your super writings Past few posts are just a bit out of
I am only writing to let you know what a amazing encounter my friends princess went through viewing your web page She noticed a lot of details including
Hello remarkable job I did not anticipate this This is a excellent story Thanks
Fascinating blog Is your theme custom made or did you download it from somewhere A design like yours with a few simple tweeks would really make my blog shine Please let me know where you got your theme Many thanks
House had a presence in Britain almost as early as it appeared in Chicago
Even though i think Selena Pitbull Derulo and some of those Hollywood singers do not have the best vocals in the music branch They stil manach to make catchy songs that sticks in youre head to levels of embarresment Then theres Lady Gaga she uses allot of Autotune in her music but the reason listeners and most of the gritics let her get away with is because SHE REALLY CAN SING LIVE I am not a single person fan I am a fan of music
Hot day at work but im off now so shower and a nap possibly
As a writer that do you prefer composing scripts or books and why Is one easier to write then the other and also that is the harder road to take the
Cool story it is really My girlfriend has been awaiting for this information
Audio began playing when I opened this web page so frustrating
Excellent read I just passed this onto a colleague who was doing a little analysis on that And he really bought me lunch because I located it for him
I live in Florida and it gets extremely hot here I run the air conditioning in the house at about 75 during the day and it keeps every room in the house
Hey I def noticed your RSS feed isnt working properly when I attempted to subscribe Just an FYI
Awesome looking website I recently built mine and I was looking for some design ideas and you gave me a few Can I ask you whether you developed the website by youself
Hey guys My name is Itto I am a 16 year old singer songwriter and I have JUST released my first music video for the single Today check it out on my channel you wont regret it would mean real much
I like the first point you made there but I am not sure I could pratcially apply that in a postive way
I heard a smooth jazz song the other day at a restaurant that was used in a hip hop rap song And later on in the same song I heard a part that was used in another hip hop rap song Ive tried to do searches but I cant seam to find it Is there a place I can find a list of jazz songs that were used in hip hop rap songs
Bitmap are interesting to use ill check it out i appreciate sharing its screen shots along with detail with this
Hey I just posted a comment with some code and half of it got eliminated when I submitted it Disregard in this case thanks
I loved as much as you will receive carried out correct here The sketch is classy your written subject matter stylish
Hi i read your blog from time to time and i own a similar one and i was just curious if you get a lot of spam responses If so how do you reduce it any
A formidable share I simply given this onto a colleague who was doing a little bit analysis on this And he the truth is purchased me breakfast as a result of I found it for him smile So let me reword that: Thnx for the treat But yeah Thnkx for spending the time to discuss this I feel strongly about it and love studying extra on this topic If possible as you become expertise would you mind updating your blog with more particulars Its extremely helpful for me Big thumb up for this weblog publish
I like what you guys are up also Such clever work and reporting Keep up the superb works guys Ive incorporated you guys to my blogroll I think it will
Do you thoughts if I use this article upon a website of mine if I obviously give credits and backlinks
Can I say that this is really a good affecting view on this thought I m really happy you shared your opinions plus information and I discovered I believe
Exactly what I had been searching for Rather well-timed knowledge in my situation Many thanks your time and effort and doing this With thanks
Have you already setup a fan page on Facebook :
Great blog post and nice discussion among the comments ` -”
And those words they use so lightly I only use for you I carry you in the background
Hi the info on this site is just incredible it keeps me coming back time and time again personally i met my wife using this site so i couldnt like it any more i have done my best to to word out about this site as i feel that others need to read this thing Thanks for all the time you take in making this brilliant blog okcheers Julie
Hello I have read some of ones publish below and observed it intriguing and it makes a ton of sense Plus i love your theme right here Thumbs up
I am not sure where you are getting your information but great topic I needs to spend some time learning more or understanding more Thanks for wonderful
Here are a few good elements developed here Generally I am not necessarily particularly keen on writing a blog however from time to time every one of
Anyway carry on the excellent quality writing it is rare to work out a great blog such as this one these days
Hmm there seems to become some difficulties with the very first link since it returns a 404 error
Do not send your PS3 Back to Sony Do THIS to fix a PS3 Discover how you can effortlessly make ALL PS3 repairs and fix every single PS3 error code
How can I attract more hits to my composing blog
I believed your article was great and will stop by frequently
Exculant article I will always be checking back to read and get updates I just sold my wrecked truck to a great recycling buyer Junk My Car
I do enjoy the way you have presented this challenge and it does indeed present me personally a lot of fodder for consideration Nevertheless through
Blogs can either be subject based or personal whichever path youve chosen just create about what is current and what interests you Attempt to post on a regular basis and above all just enjoy it
I countenance I individual not been on this webpage in a overnight time withal it was added pleasance to see It is much an must theme and ignored by so
Couple plus Developed essentially the most suited Electronic cigarette makes Celebration to get all of the hottest and also Surmount Ranked E cigarettes that are offered
Comfortabl y the post is really the freshest on this laudable topic I suit in with your conclusions and also definitely will thirstily look forward to
At last a great advanced write-up that could be straightforward together with reasonable to read the paper We have placed this specific to be able to
Asked Lebron james change for a dollar he didnt have a fourth quarter haha
Great post I have bookmarked this website so hopefully Ill see a lot more on this topic in the foreseeable future
Doesnt sound that awesome at all Sounds like you have major issues IJS
Cool thing you have here I actually love how it is easy on my eyes as well as the details are well written I am wondering how I might be notified
Although some unresonable immunoassays responded at a 20 [i]when can i buy allegra otc[ i] stromal dose there was an hyponatremic progression of classrooms overused to yieldaccommodate hypocalcemic ampolletas about this dose
Great post thanks for the awesome blog post Im having troubles subscribing to your blogs feed Thought Id let you know
Despite numerous opinions much better researched articles still bring in subscribers like me You presented complete knowledge of the theme subject and my
Hello I believed I might send a quick remark considering that Ive spent the better part of the previous half-hour scanning through your weblog posts I
I cling on to listening to the newscast talk about receiving boundless online grant applications so I have been looking around for the top site to get one
Have you ever considered about adding a little bit more than just your articles I mean what you say is fundamental and all Nevertheless think about if
I have to point out that over-all Im fairly taken with this blog It is very clear that you fully understand your subject material and youre serious
Acquire Valium precisely as it was approved for you Never acquire the medicine in bigger quantities or consider it for lengthier than suggested by your
I love your wordpress template exactly where do you obtain it through
Definitely applying for a bit more fuzy then again My spouse lot choose Microsoft zune Specific marketplace Your current user interface happens to be
A leopard cannot change its spots
I just came across your site submit and have been recently looking at alongside My spouse and i spotted quite a few unusual feedback however generally I
Can I just say what a aid to find somebody who really knows what theyre speaking about on the internet You positively know how one can deliver an issue to gentle and make it important More people have to read this and perceive this side of the story I cant consider youre not more standard since you definitely have the gift
I have been taking classes in NYC for the past year commuting in from Connecticut nearly 2 hours away I finally found a job in Greenwich CT working as a waiter after pounding the Manhattan pavement to no avail ( that was a good thing) Waiters jobs to seem to be as flexible and money making as they used to apparently be Well so I at least got a job withing an hour from the city but I see myself quitting that one soon after moving How is one going to work at anything to get by and yet be able to do plays showcases etc so one can invite agents and hopefully get representation and then be able to go out on auditions I cant think of any thing unless your a succesful real estate sales person and then that take all of your time if you are indeed successful enough at it to live
A powerful share I just given this onto a colleague who was doing slightly analysis on this And he in truth bought me breakfast as a result of I
He cant even rap
Howdy This is kind of off topic but I need some advice from an established blog Is it tough to set up your own blog Im not very techincal but I can
Excellent blog here Also your site loads up very fast What host are you using Can I get your affiliate backlink to your host I wish my web site loaded up as fast as yours lol
Frequently We do not set up on blogs however i would like to say that this particular put up truly pressured me to do this significantly fantastic post
I too conceive thus perfectly pent post
Hi I discovered this website by error when I was browsing Bing next I arrived to your web site I need to say your site is interesting I really like your theme Today I dont have the free time at the current moment to fully browse your sitebut I have bookmarked it I will be back in a day or two Thanks for a good site
Can I just say such a relief to uncover somebody who in fact knows what theyre discussing over the internet You actually have learned to bring a challenge
I like your site great colours & style Do an individual layout this fabulous website yourself as well as did anyone bring in help to acheive it for you
I dont actually have significantly interest inside your blog but I noticed it at another blog sharing great word press designs and they also utilised yours as a good illustration and it is very nice excellent job
I do not understand exactly how I discovered your blog because I had been researching information on Real Estate in Winter Park FL but anyway I have had
For some cause the picture is just not loading effectively is now there an issue
But others point to various other artistsfor example the Maddox Brothers and Rosewho were creating webcamsex that fits very comfortably into the rockabilly genre as far back as the late 1940s
Every email you send ought to have your signature with the link to your website or weblog That usually brings in some visitors
I love cats
Fantastic goods from you man I have be mindful your stuff prior to and youre just too fantastic I actually like what you have acquired right here
Did you miss me twitter Just had a little day out to Palm Desert Only a 900 mile round trip It was HOT
I am constantly searching on the internet for articles that can advantage me personally Thanks
Friggin remarkable issues here I¡¦m very happy to peer your post Thank you a lot and im having a look forward to touch you Will you kindly drop me a mail
Antifungal aftate for athletes foot blis-to-sol desenex spray fungatin fungi-guard genaspor hongos np 27 podactin t-athlete tinactin tinaspore ting
Excellent beat I wish to apprentice while you amend your website how could i subscribe for a blog website The account aided me a acceptable deal I had been a little bit acquainted of this your broadcast provided bright clear concept
Dawno nie czytaem tak dobrego postu
First of all allow my family value a persons command during this matter Even though this is certainly brand new nevertheless soon after registering your site this intellect has exploded extensively Allow all of us to take hold of ones rss to help keep in touch with at all probable messages Sincere understand but will pass it on to help admirers and my personalized are living members
I just wanted to develop a word so that it will say as a result of you for some of the lovely ideas you will be showing on this website My extensive internet explore has afre the wedding been paid back with experienced knowledge to speak about with your two associates I d indicate that most people site visitors are fortunate to be in a excellent community along with many brilliant people that have great options I look really privileged to own seen your blog page and count on so much more enjoyable moments reading here Thanks as soon as for many things
Hi There are certainly a lot of details like that to take into consideration That is a great point to bring up I offer the thoughts above as general
Hello i initiate an faithful website tally it so much worth to regard Happy Surfing
Hello there just became aware of your blog through Search engines and discovered that its truly informative Im going to watch out for brussels Ill
Hey there You have done an excellent job I will certainly digg it and individually suggest to my friends I am confident they will be benefited from
Google strategy that dont rank this type of informative sites in top of the list Generally the top websites are full of garbage
Great blog! Do you have any tips and hints for aspiring writers? I’m hoping to start my own website soon but I’m a little lost on everything. Would you propose starting with a free platform like WordPress or go for a paid option? There are so many options out there that I’m totally overwhelmed .. Any recommendations? Thanks!
Bizarre this publish is totaly unrelated to what I was searching google for but it was once indexed on the first page I suppose your doing one thing
How can I keep my house cool without air conditioning
An interesting dialogue is worth a comment I feel that its best to write more on this topic it might not be a taboo topic however usually people are not
Hey This is kind of off topic but I need some guidance from an established blog Is it very hard to set up your own blog Im not very techincal but I can figure things out pretty fast Im thinking about creating my own but Im not sure where to start Do you have any ideas or suggestions Many thanks
Because there were several war games taking place one of which simulated a passenger jet flying into the World Trade Center They were conned into
How many days after election day is the winner of the Presidential election announced
Hey I just hopped over to your website online via StumbleUpon Now not something Id in most cases read but I appreciated your emotions none the less
A leopard cannot change its spots
But after pouring our hearts out to each other about our problems fears secrets and deepest emotions we each found qualities about each other which
Hello I just would like to give a substantial thumbs up for the great info youve here on this post I will be coming back to your blog for far more soon
Great stuff was a helpful info thx
Have you ever thought about writing an e-book or guest authoring on other blogs I have a blog centered on the same information you discuss and would love
Hot and perfect day for a splash park Cant wait til they open
I have been checking out some of your stories and i can claim pretty nice stuff. I will make sure to bookmark your website.|
Hello This is kind of off topic but I need some advice from an established blog Is it very difficult to set up your own blog Im not very techincal but
I am constantly invstigating online for tips that can facilitate me Thx
Hi Good stuff do inform me when you finally post something similar
Finding this site made all the work I did to find it look like nothing The reason being that this is such an informative post I wanted to thank you for this special analysis of the subject I ate every bit of it and I have you bookmarked to check out new stuff you post
Awesome idea of art Im from Great Britain I read many fromulars about it I thought idea of article is quite good and impresive to think about this art
I always was interested in this topic and stock still am appreciate it for posting
Garmin 1490t GPS…
A polite letter is important addressed to the magazines Fiction Editor introducing yourself and attaching your story with double spaced text and having big margins on both sides This really for ease of use by the magazine staff and is essential Pages ought to each be numbered
Excellent guide I just stumbled upon your blog and had to inform you that I have for sure loved analyzing the website I have subscribed to your RSS feed and I expect that you are going to post again soon I am curious if I have to subscribe to comments feed as well Any valuable interactions going on in comments
Appreciating the hard work you put into your site and in depth information you provide Its nice to come across a blog every once in a while that isnt
Hi Great stuff please do tell me when you post something similar
Hey there I think your site might be having browser compatibility issues When I look at your blog site in Opera it looks fine but when opening in
I hate that I dont hate this
I hate when fan twitters change* the support to an artist thats popular that means youre a fake fan
I dont understand how people can dislike this video I think its a great gesture even if u dont like Justin Beiber or the rap part The song is about love not hate
After I at first commented I clicked this -Notify me when new comments are added- checkbox now each time a comment is added in I have 4 emails with a similar comment Will there be any sort of way you could take away me from that services Thanks
Do you mind if I quote a few of your posts as long as I provide credit and sources back to your website My website is in the very same area of interest as
Good Review and fascinating Appreciate you taking the time in sharing these particulars Thanks
Hi i read your site occasionally knowning that i personal identical one and additionally i was just wondering if you ever get various spam suggestions If
How did you make a blog site look this cool Email me if you can and share your wisdom Id be appreciative
Everybody Hates Chris sometimes bores me because the jokes arent so funny anymore but i still watch it all the time~
Awesome writing style!
Hot Seat: Gasol & Da Rest of Dem I Feel
Good weblog I am going to spend much more time reading about this topic
Compelling weblog top quality job It couldnt seem to have been produced any better Reading this article blog post reminds me of my recent supervisor
Hey this is kinda of off topic but I was wanting to know if blogs use WYSIWYG editors or if you have to manually code with HTML Im starting a blog soon but have no coding knowledge so I wanted to get advice from someone with experience Any help would be greatly appreciated
I am tired about this in case you spam my internet site as well as blog one more point in time I could expose you
Congratulations on having of the most sophisticated blogs Ive come throughout in certain time Its just incredible what you can take away from anything
As a teacher I grade a lot of writing assignments Thats a hard habit to break so I give you a strong A+ for this article Its interesting and well-written
Hi there I simply wish to give an enormous thumbs up for the great information youve right here on this post I can be coming back to your blog for more
Bas je dobra pesam uvek cu je voleti
Can I simply say what a relief to seek out somebody who truly knows what theyre speaking about on the internet. You definitely know the way to deliver a difficulty to light and make it important. More people need to learn this and understand this aspect of the story. I cant imagine youre not more widespread since you undoubtedly have the gift.
Very good suggestions, personally Im gonna have to bookmark this and come back to it. Do you have any feedback on your most recent post though?
I found your blog article really authentic and useful I am new to this subject and your inputs work great Hope I will be able to make use of them I have
I just wanted to write a quick comment to be able to say thanks to you for some of the wonderful steps you are giving on this website My long internet investigation has finally been recognized with sensible facts to share with my pals I would admit that most of us website visitors are definitely lucky to be in a very good network with so many wonderful people with valuable strategies I feel really lucky to have encountered your entire web site and look forward to plenty of more brilliant moments reading here Thanks once more for everything
I appreciate cause I found exactly what I was looking for You have ended my 4 day long hunt God Bless you man Have a great day Bye
Great post!
After study a few of the blog posts on your website now and I truly like your way of blogging I bookmarked it to my bookmark website list and will be checking back soon Pls check out my web site as well and let me know what you think
naturally like your web-site but you have to test the spelling on quite a few of your posts. A number of them are rife with spelling problems and I in finding it very bothersome to inform the truth then again I will surely come back again.
Great blog So many blogs like yours cover subjects that cant be found in print I dont know how we got by 12 years ago with just newspapers and